Draft game rules

The exception to this rule is English draughts and American checkers - a king can only move one field forwards or backwards. It is usually considered that all pieces can capture forwards and backwards.

Capturing means that your piece jumps over the opponent's piece and stops on an empty field just behind it. You can also capture more than one piece in one move named as multiple capturing or even change the direction of the capture, provided that there is one empty space between the opponent's pieces so that your piece can freely jump on the field between them. Players have often doubts whether the capture in draughts is obligatory. Amateurs, as well as professionals, agree that capturing in draughts is mandatory.

Following international rules, the player should choose a sequence of capturing so that he captures the maximum number of pieces - which means as follows :. In American checkers or English draughts you can choose any sequence of capturing, you have no obligation to capture the maximum number of pieces.

Each player strives to win by capturing all the opponent's pieces. The more kings you have, the easier it is for the player to win. However, you should try not to let the opponent do the same. And not only capturing of all opponent's pieces can give you a victory - if you can block his pieces in such a way that he won't make any move, you've got your work done : You won!

Winning after a long fight with a demanding opponent gives a lot of satisfaction. But it also requires a lot of concentration, the ability to predict a few moves in advance, planning, and often sacrificing one or even more pieces.

More experienced players know that confrontation cannot be avoided - pieces must meet on the board, and the first "meeting" usually happens quickly in the middle of the board. To some extent, the player's success depends on the ability to place the pieces in such positions so as to capture as many pieces of the opponent as possible.

And surprisingly, losing or not any of your own pieces is not the most significant issue- in the end remember that a fight requires victims. It is essential to confront your opponent in such a manner that leads to capturing his pieces. Draughts beginners are often under the illusion that setting the pieces on the left or right side of the board is safer.

And unfortunately, they are not right in this case. If a piece is placed at the edge of the board, it controls only one square in front of it. At the same time, a piece in the centre of the board can effectively control two fields. If you care about protecting your pieces, place them in the middle of the board - build a team of pieces, they will be protecting one another from the back, the left and right side.

Remember also that the pieces placed at the edges of the board are easier to be blocked and thus it is less complicated to exclude them from the game. A lone, blocked piece somewhere on the side of the board will not be useful and will not help you to win. It's not worth splitting pieces into small groups - when they form one team, they cooperate better together. There are accounts of games similar to draughts being played in ancient Egypt, ancient Rome and ancient Greece, and a board bearing similarities to a draughts board has been dated to 3, BC.

There are many varieties of draughts, or 'checkers', in play throughout the world. Draughts is widely available as an online game. Software allows you to play against the computer, with programs running to select the computer's moves and react to what's happening in the game.

Online draughts is also available in a format that means you can play virtually against players all over the world. Here's what you need to get started for a game of draughts assuming you're not playing online of course, in which case you just need a desktop or mobile device connected to the Internet :. A draughts board of eight squares by eight squares in size. The squares will alternate in color, with a contrast between light and dark. The simplest form of board could be made from cardboard, while there are luxury tables you buy that are made of solid marble.

A set of draughts pieces. You'll need 12 for each player, one set in a light color, the other in a dark color. Again, you'll find a huge array of choice to suit every budget here. To conquer an opponent's piece you jump over it in a diagonal direction. Playing two moves consecutively; 5. Moving a man or a king in an irregular way; 5.

Taking back a move played; 5. Moving a piece of the opponent; 5. Playing a piece when a capture is possible; 5. Capture by a piece, of less or more than the number of possible pieces to capture; 5. Stopping during a multiple capture released piece, see article 4. Irregularly lifting a piece, during an unfinished multiple capture. Taking, after a multiple capture, less pieces from the board, than captured; 5.

Taking, after a capture, pieces that have not been jumped. Stopping, during a multiple capture, in taking the pieces; 5. Promoting a man to King without crowning him. Playing with a King which is not yet crowned. Using two hands for making the move and taking the captured pieces. Situations have arisen on the board for reasons beyond the control of the players are not considered irregularity.

If a player refuses to comply with the Official Game Rules, his opponent has the right to force his compliance. If a player makes a move after his opponent has committed an irregularity or has refused to comply with the Official Game Rules, his move indicates an acceptance of the situation.

Then a rectification can no longer be obtained. There are two possible results at the end of a game: — A win for one of the opponents, and, by consequence, a loss for the other; — A draw when neither of the players has been able to win. A player wins when his opponent: 6. A draw is obtained when: 6. If three or more times the same position is repeated, and each time the same player having to move. If a player has in the party three kings and more against a single enemy king and his 15th move counting from the time of establishing the correlation of forces cannot capture enemy king.

If the position in which the both opponents having kings have not changed the balance of pieces ie, there was no capture and man did not become a king for: — To 4-and 5-pieces endings — 30 moves; — In 6, and 7-pieces endings — 60 moves.

If a player having in the party three kings, two kings and one man, one king and two men against one enemy king, located on the long diagonal, his 5th move will not be able to achieve a winning position.

If a player having in the party two kings, one king and man, one king against enemy king to their 5th move will not be able to achieve a winning position. End of the game, as described in Articles 7. The first horizontal row is the line closest to player which plays white.

Each field by the board denote depending on which vertical and horizontal it is located, ie each field is denoted by a combination of letters and numbers showing the vertical and horizontal rows, which are located at the intersection of the field. Notation makes possible to record a whole party and some positions. For example, the location of pieces at the beginning of the party Diagram 3 can be written as follows: white — a1, a3, b2, c1, c3, d2, e1, e3, f2, g1, g3, h2 12 black — a7, b6, b8, c7, d6, d8, e7, f6, f8, g7, h6, h8 The name of the starting square, followed by the arrival square, for example, a3-b4; 8.

The two names may be separated by a hyphen - in the case of a simple move; 8. The two names may be separated by a colon : in case of a capture.

If the capture a few pieces in one move is need, the record of capture is as follows: first write the field from which the capture is beginning, and then a colon and the designated field, for which man king got after the capture.

If it is necessary to note the direction of the capture, after the field that started the capture, consistently record the designation of the fields on which the change in direction was done with a colon between the designations of the fields.

For example, in the position shown in Diagram 4, there are three directions of capture, and they are written as follows:. It may be arranged for a game that each player has to play a certain number of moves in a given time. In that case it is obligatory for all players: To use a playing clock To transcribe the whole game move by move. It may be arranged for a game that each player has a certain time till the end of the game. In that case, it is obligatory to use a playing clock without the obligation to record the moves.

The description and the rules of use for the clock are treated in the Rules for Competitions. A game is considered accelerated when the time that is allowed for each player for the whole game is not more than 30 minutes.

The rapid game, where each player is allowed a time between 10 and 30 minutes inclusive for the whole party, or when electronic clocks and the Fischer system are used between 10 and 15 minutes with additional seconds per each move. The blitz game, where each player is allowed a time between 3 and 5 minutes inclusive for the whole party, or when electronic clocks and the Fischer system are used between 3 and 5 minutes with additional seconds per each move.

If tie breaking involves playing decisive games, these must be at the same rate of play or faster than those of the competition. When the players do not record the games the 20 moves rule is not valid.

The players may agree upon a draw only if the number of men for each player is 6 or less.